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I reach into my nightstand and pull out the tiny prescription bottle that holds the relief for my pain.
There are eight left.
I pop open the lid.
My thumb and index finger massage and rotate the little round disk, marveling at the control at which something so tiny can produce. Every nerve ending begs for it. Every pore salivates for it.
Need.
Want.
Desire.
I swallow down the urge to give in and count this exact moment as a mini-accomplishment, putting the pill back into its holder for the inevitable usage later. I need to use them wisely and save them for when my shoulder pain is unbearable.
I roll out of bed and grab the laptop. I log on and double-click on the search engine and type “Graham Hoffman” into Google. I need to know more. The first five results show articles about his success in business. I click the second link and it takes me toThe Headlinerdatabase. I find an article dated back from a decade ago. Skimming through the vast material, I discover that Graham has always been a high achiever—even during college.
Wow. He was very ambitious for being so young.
The next set of articles highlight his growing business adventures. A dabbler in real estate. An acquirer of all things shiny—including a small jewelry company called Jealousy.
None of the articles show a photo of him, except for one.
I do an image search but am hard pressed to find another photo where Graham isn’t wearing sunglasses or a black ball cap.
Hmm…He looks quite sexy when trying to conceal himself.
* * *
By Thursday, I can no longer avoid the file. It’s night by the time I gather enough guts to open the folder. With a mug of hot chocolate in hand, I lay back on stacked pillows on my bed and focus on the task. The first page of the stapled packet contains basic information about what Entice is about—nothing that hasn’t already been shared. Then there is the second page.
Confidentiality:Employees are required to sign a confidentiality statement prior to employment and again every six months thereafter. Discussion of hourly rates is prohibited.
Exclusivity:Employees are discouraged from being involved in a romantic public relationship with any person(s) when the contract is binding.
Bidding:Clients will have opportunities to bid (and outbid) on available employees via the password protected online profile system or through mixer events.
Appearance:Clients can put in requests on hair, makeup, and wardrobe. Clients score escorts using a rating system.
Availability:Employees are to be available for at least twenty hours per month or risk termination.
Salary:Employees will be guaranteed no less than $200 per hour, for a minimum of two hours. A 35% cut ensures the upkeep of the profile, safety measures, and other amenities. Ten percent will be held in escrow.
Benefits:Employees have access to two different types of health and wellness packages designated through the HR Department.
Bonus:A one-time bonus of $5000 will be awarded to all new employees. A bonus of $1000 will be awarded for the recruitment of each new member after three months.
Holy hell. I place my mug on the nightstand and exhale. I rest the file on my quilt and try to absorb the information I just read. I don’t even know what overwhelms me more—the money I could earn or the hoops I have to jump through to earn it. Two hundred dollars an hour? Wow. Five thousand dollars to improve my appearance? This is out of my league. Bidding wars?
Yeah, like that will happen.
6
I wait almost a week and channel my energy into my classwork before deciding to go back to the Entice office. Alone. The task of searching for other jobs has resulted in my continued unemployed status. Every part-time position has been filled with the influx of students moving back to the area. If the bakery had closed a month before it did, I would have had a chance to find something that did not shake my moral compass as much. It’s already the middle of September, and before I know it, October rent will be due. The feeling of desperation feeds into my bad decision-making behavior.
Examining my closet, I settle for the simple gray knee-length sweater dress. When I purchased the dress, I decided to embellish the sleeves with thin white lace to give it more flare. The downside of living in the Pacific Northwest is the dreary weather in the fall. In the floor-length mirror, I reposition the V-neck of the dress and push the sleeves in place at just below my elbows. Kneeling beside my bed, I pull the plastic bin out and rummage through my collection of socks. I select a pair of black ones with little pink hearts on the sides. I slide them on and then conceal them with the zip of my black knee-high boots.
The townhouse is sans Claire. Her sneakers missing from the shoe rack give away her location. I take my pea coat from the hook, grab my purse, and lock up the place. The morning sun casts beautiful warmth to the trees and cars in the lot. I hop into my Honda Civic and back out.
